MANTECA - Alex Laurel decided he wanted to make the most of his senior season in a Manteca football uniform.

Buffaloes coach Eric Reis was more than happy to help him along the way.

The result was a remarkable season for the senior running back, the coach and the team.

Laurel was the focal point of the state's third-highest scoring offense. The shifty speedster rushed behind experienced blockers for 1,910 yards, and scored 35 touchdowns on the ground and 49 overall. But nothing meant more to him than playing on a team that won the program's fourth Sac-Joaquin Section title and played in a regional bowl game with an opportunity to compete for a state championship.

For their accomplishments, Laurel is The Record's All-Area Player of the Year and Reis is The Record's All-Area Coach of the Year.

"I never thought I would have a season like this coming into this year," Laurel said. "But you know, I have the assets up front with my big line, and they make it happen up front and I just do the rest."

Laurel was surrounded by similarly motivated players anxious to live up to the program's standards, especially a rare group of seniors, each a leader in his own way. Laurel not only thrived in the team environment, he became a leader himself.

"These last couple weeks of playoffs, we have our sophomores up and Alex has done a great job of mentoring and tutoring those guys," said Reis, owner of three of the football program's four section titles over his 12 seasons at Manteca. "I think the kids have really listened to him, so I think we'll see the dividends of what he's done for us the next couple of years also."

What Laurel did this season was put forth one of the most productive seasons by a running back in Manteca High history.

"He just changed his mind-set," Reis said. "He grew up and made a decision that he was going to take it serious and he really has."

Laurel played Pop Warner his freshman year at Manteca and for the sophomore team that won the Valley Oak League. His junior year wasn't impressive on or off the field. Laurel had only 30 carries for 229 yards and three touchdowns, playing behind then-senior Eddie Smith, who had 1,260 yards, for a Buffaloes team that went 6-5 overall, 5-2 in the VOL and lost to Inderkum in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs. Laurel was hanging with a bad crowd and his grades were slipping. Knowing he had only year of high school remaining, Laurel turned his life around with help from his coaches, teammates and his brother, Guillermo Diaz, who passed along some of the discipline he acquired during his stint with the Navy.

It all came together this year for Laurel, who stands 5-foot-7 and weighs about 170 pounds after adding 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason.

"This year has just been a blast," Laurel said. "This program is really good. This year, I knew I had to buckle down and kind of carry the team on my back. I have aspirations of going to college, so this year working hard in the offseason with my team is a big part of my success this season."

Laurel is surprisingly strong for his size and can run between the tackles. Perhaps his greatest strength is his vision, which allows him to recognize cut-back lanes against overpursuing defenders.

"It's fun. You just give him a little crack and he's through it," said senior Isaac McClain, a three-year, two-way starting lineman. "If we do the work up front, he gets it done. He's a hard runner. He's fast and strong, and he's hard to bring down."

Sierra coach Jeff Harbison, who had a sensational running back of his own last season, Anthony Cota, said Laurel possesses all the ingredients for success.

"Alex is a very elusive back," said Harbison, whose Timberwolves finished third in the VOL this season. "He had great vision and good speed and when you combine that with a massive line that Manteca had, you're going to be productive."

Reis counts himself among the fortunate, having had a senior-heavy team that played with purpose all season.

When asked what made the season so special, he said: "The senior leadership. They just had the goal of a section championship, and they wanted that ring, and they weren't going to be denied that."

Reis, along with a stable coaching staff, upheld the principles of Manteca football, which is a commitment to physical play, and fostered a brotherhood between the players and coaches.

"We're a family, and that's something we talk about," Reis said. "We don't make a lot of money, and you have to love the people that you're with because you spend so much time and not only as a staff, but with the kids. And we definitely have a football family here."

Reis believed he had a special team in the making this season. He challenged his players to work hard in the offseason and to come to fall practice prepared and ready for the long haul. And he gave the team a specific area to focus on throughout the season.

"We knew we were very good offensively and we had some question marks on defense," Reis said. "So we challenged the team and said we'll go as far as the defense will take us."

And the Buffaloes went farther than ever, reaching the CIF Division II State Regional Bowl Game, where they lost to Redding-Enterprise 27-21 on Dec. 14.

The Manteca offense was potent, as Reis believed it would be, averaging 48 points per game. And the defense accepted Reis' challenge, giving up 18 points per game.

"Being a physical football team is something we pride ourselves in and it's due to the weight room," Reis said. "These kids put a tremendous amount of effort into the weight room and that's what you're seeing."